UK Music Groups Seek Copyright Licences and Levies for Digital Content 13/07/2006 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The United Kingdom independent music sector wants content distributors to pay creators for transmitting their works over the Internet, mobile phones and other devices. At a 12 July London roundtable headed by the Association of Independent Music (AIM), indie labels, composers, songwriters, musicians, managers, publishers and collecting societies […]
European Commission Fines Microsoft €280.5 Million In Antitrust Case 12/07/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment BRUSSELS – The European Commission today fined Microsoft €280.5 million ($356.35 million) for failing to comply with a 2004 Commission request to provide documents that would make it easier for other companies to develop products that would be interoperable with Microsoft’s products. This is the first time in the European Union’s 49-year-long history that it […]
MSF: Patent Monopoly Hinders Developing Countries’ Access To New HIV/AIDS Medicine 06/07/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment A monopoly by a single pharmaceutical company on a new medicine for HIV/AIDS has limited access to the medicine to a select group of patients in developing countries, a non-profit group said today. The product is lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) and is only produced by the pharmaceutical company Abbott Laboratories, which holds the patent for the product, […]
EU Flags Geographical Indications In WTO Trade Talks Paper 22/06/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In a new European Union communication to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the ongoing agriculture negotiations, the EU has moved its call for higher intellectual property rights protection for product names deriving from geographical locations to the top of its list of demands. At issue is Europe’s wish to better protect its geographical indications […]
WTO Geographical Indications Discussion Moves To Higher Level 16/06/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment While there was little movement at a World Trade Organization meeting (WTO) on intellectual property rules this week, one of the IP issues in the current round of trade talks has been elevated to a consultation of ambassador-level officials under special invitation, sources said. The IP issue is geographical indications (GIs) and a proposal to […]
Brazil, India Get Developed Country Support For TRIPS Amendment On Biodiversity 15/06/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Two new proposals on the relationship of international agreements on the protection of biodiversity were discussed at the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday, one of which supports a developing country view. But member states still disagree as to whether there is a conflict between international rules. The new proposals were tabled by Japan [Japan Proposal] […]
Brasil lucha por la protección internacional de la biodiversidad 15/06/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Por Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen Brasil cuenta probablemente con la fuente de biodiversidad más rica del mundo, y lucha por obtener apoyo a nivel internacional para proteger estos recursos naturales de lo que considera una explotación injusta a través del uso de patentes por parte de empresas y otros dentro y fuera del país. Mientras […]
Geographical Indications Register Still Stuck As WTO Meetings Continue 13/06/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment World Trade Organization (WTO) discussion of a multilateral register for wines and spirits that derive their names from geographical locations seemed to hit a new low today as the chair ended a meeting after 15 minutes because of lack of movement. “The chair seemed quite bitter,” two participants said. The chair, Ambassador Manzoor Ahmad of […]
Biggest Developing Countries Present TRIPS Amendment Proposal 07/06/2006 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments The world’s largest developing countries are seeking an amendment to international trade rules to provide more protection for genetic resources and traditional knowledge used in patent applications, and have presented the amendment proposal to other governments with mixed results. Brazil, India and China are among the eight countries that have publicly supported the proposal to […]
Brazil Fights To Make Case For International Biodiversity Protection 31/05/2006 by Tove Iren S. Gerhardsen for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Brazil has arguably the earth’s richest source of biological diversity, and it is fighting to get help at the international level to protect those natural resources from what it says is unfair exploitation through patents by companies and others in and outside Brazil. While industry argues that the Brazilian law regulating the use of genetic […]